Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat shows how obedience can lead directly into storms without surprising the Lord. The disciples obey, face resistance, and learn that Jesus is praying while they struggle. What appears to be opposition is often Christ approaching in a different way. Walking on water reveals trust by His permission and enablement, not our ability. Healing at Gennesaret shows that recognizing Him and attaching to the Word brings wholeness.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 14:22–23, John 6:14–15, Luke 6:12, Matthew 14:24, Matthew 14:25, Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15, Judges 4:3, Judges 6:6, Judges 10:10, Matthew 14:24–27, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, Matthew 14:27–28, Matthew 14:28–29, Matthew 14:30–32, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 14:34–36, Matthew 14:36, Numbers 15:37–41,
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Matthew 14:22–36 — Walking on Water and Healing at Gennesaret
We complete chapter 14 in this lesson, verses 22-36. Two thoughts are presented: walking on water as the primary focus and healing at Gennesaret as a shorter closing section. Most of our time will be spent on walking on water. That is where the lesson is centered. We will continue with it and learn how it applies to us. The key phrase that frames this is “O thou of little faith” (Matthew 14:31).
Many times in life, we know the Lord has instructed us to do something, such as going to the other side. Halfway through, we encounter a storm. We push against it with everything we have and make no progress. We look at the situation and assume it must be an evil spirit. Then we scream at it, bind it, and loose it, only to discover that what we were fighting was actually Jesus.
Another emphasis in this lesson is prayer. We are also confronted with the truth that walking on circumstances happens only by His permission and His enablement, not our own ability. Throughout the lesson, the idea is that by His permission and enablement, we can walk on the very things that try to take us under.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
As we move into the text, we see the disciples obeying Jesus. He told them to go, and they are doing everything they can to carry out His instruction. Right in the middle of their obedience, a storm arises. This is something many of us have experienced. We know God has spoken, we are trying our very best to obey, and suddenly resistance appears. However, that storm was not a surprise to the Lord.
While the disciples are fighting the storm, Jesus is praying. He is on the mountain, interceding. He ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). That truth shapes how we understand the entire scene. As we begin the passage in verses 22 and 23, we see Jesus sending the disciples ahead, dismissing the multitudes, and then going up alone into the mountain to pray. When evening came, Jesus was there alone.
Matthew 14:22–23
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
The word constrained is the Greek word anagkazo, meaning to necessitate, compel, drive to, constrain – by force, threats, etc. Jesus constrained His disciples. He made it a necessity that they go to the other side. He compelled them. Jesus seriously wanted them to get in the ship, and to go to the other side. My point is that the storm they are about to face was not the devil slipping in behind Jesus’ back to stir it up. If that were possible, then the devil could trick Him, and Jesus would not be Lord. He would not be omniscient or omnipresent.
Jesus knew the disciples would face this storm. Either He knew, or He is not God. Today’s English Bible says Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him. The NIV says He made them. The Phillips translation says Jesus insisted. He insisted that they enter the boat and cross the water. What they encountered was not the devil. It was a storm.
After the miracle of feeding the 5,000, Jesus sent them across. There are several reasons He sent them on ahead. First, Jesus needed to dismiss the crowd. Second, Jesus needed to pray. Third, the disciples needed to face the storm.
If the disciples needed to face the storm, then we need to face storms as well. If we never face storms, we will never recognize Jesus in the midst of them. We will think it is an evil spirit. In this world, there will be storms, but He says to be of good cheer (John 16:33) as He comes walking on the water.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Jesus Dismisses the Crowd
Jesus needed to dismiss the crowd. John 6:5-13 also recounts the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Then we read a notable passage in John 6:14-15.
John 6:14–15
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
They were going to make Him a king by force, and Jesus knew it. He perceived that thought, and it had to be dismissed. That idea did not belong to what He was doing.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Think about a ruler who could feed everyone by a miracle. He could bless it, multiply it, and give it out so no one would have to work. That would create a welfare state. Many people today think the government can do that. Jesus said that was not what this was about. His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. His kingdom is within you (Luke 17:21). There will be a time for manifestation, but right now it is spiritual. Accordingly, He dismissed the people and went to pray.
Jesus’ Life of Prayer
As you study the Word, you see that Jesus spent much time in prayer during His earthly ministry. Jesus spent a lot of time praying. In Mark 1:35, we see Him rising up a great while before day, going out, departing into a solitary place, and praying. He liked to go to a solitary place and pray. Mark 6:46 says he departed into a mountain to pray. Luke 5:16 says that the multitudes came, but he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. Luke 6:12 tells us that Jesus went to a mountain to pray and continued praying all night.
Then Luke 9:18 says he was praying, and the disciples were with Him. Luke 22:41 says, He withdrew from them a stone’s cast and kneeled down and prayed. That was in Gethsemane. Hebrews 5:7 says, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. In Mark 6:46, it says he departed into a mountain to pray. And Luke 5:16 says that the multitudes came, but he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.
How many preachers would do that today? Would they rather have the multitudes of go pray? Jesus was not quite like your normal preacher.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Luke 6:12
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12, He went to a mountain to pray and continued for how long? All night. We can make it for about five minutes. We can get here at 6 o’clock on Wednesdays and Fridays, and we spend about 30 minutes fellowshiping. And we pray for about five minutes. Ted has to leave because he’s got to be at work. The other of us prays for about five or ten more minutes, and then we spend the rest of 15 to 20 minutes fellowshiping. So, we come together to pray at 6 o’clock, and we get about 15 minutes of prayer in. And Jesus prayed all night.
Jesus prayed in all seasons. He prayed in lonely places, on mountains, and in Gethsemane (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; Luke 22:39–41). He prayed early in the morning, in the evening, and sometimes all night (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). He prayed for Himself and for others (John 17:1–5; John 17:9; John 17:20). He gave thanksgiving and supplications (Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 5:7). Even now He lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). He is still praying.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Matthew 14:24
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
While the disciples were rowing the boat and facing the storm, Jesus was up on the mountain praying (Matthew 14:23). When we are rowing our boats and facing our storms, He is still making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). That raises the question for all of us. Do we pray enough? Are we like the Lord Jesus Christ in our prayer life (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Most of us would have to admit we fall short.
Matthew 14:23 says He was there alone. The crowd was gone, and even those closest to Him were gone. We need that as well. There must be times when we get alone with the Father, whether early in the morning, late at night, in a deserted place, or on a mountain (Matthew 6:6). We need a place where we can be alone and commune with Him (Psalm 46:10).
Walking on the Water — The Fourth Watch
As we move into the next section, the Bible says that in the fourth watch, Jesus walked on the water (Matthew 14:25).
Matthew 14:25
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
That was about four o’clock in the morning. Verse 23 says He began praying in the evening (Matthew 14:23). That means He had been praying for about nine hours. Quantity is not as important as quality, but it shows that Jesus enjoyed praying (Proverbs 8:30–31; John 4:34). He enjoyed long periods of time with His Father (John 17:24).
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Somewhere along the way, prayer became too simple and was almost treated as wrong. We are raising a generation that does not understand prayer (2 Timothy 3:7). We need to return to the idea that prayer should be joyful (Psalm 100:2). More importantly, we should enjoy spending quality time with the Lord and with the Father (Psalm 27:4; Psalm 63:1). That includes praying in the Spirit and praying with understanding (1 Corinthians 14:14–15; Jude 20). Individual prayer must be emphasized again (Matthew 6:6).
Corporate prayer also has its place. Jesus prayed corporately (Matthew 18:19–20). He prayed among the people and included them in prayer (Luke 9:28–29). The real question is: when do we pray? Do we pray only when things are bad, or also when things are good (Psalm 50:15)? What will it take to move a nation to pray (2 Chronicles 7:14)?
Storms That Drive God’s People to Prayer
Often, we pray for good times, but maybe that is not what we should be asking for (James 4:3). Scripture says tribulation will come (John 16:33). That led me to look back at history. In Exodus 2:23, Israel was under Egyptian persecution and cried out to God. It was persecution that drove them to prayer. That same pattern appears again in Judges 3:9, when Mesopotamia oppressed them.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Judges 3:9
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
And what did they do? When the children of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer. But they didn’t pray until things got so bad. Again, in Judges 3:15, Moab was persecuting them.
Judges 3:15
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
How about that? Are you seeing what happens when things get bad? When things get bad, the people of God begin to pray.
Judges 4:3
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
Canaanites began to persecute them. The children of Israel cried to the Lord and raised up a deliverer.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Judges 6:6
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
In Judges 10:10, Amnon was persecuting them.
Judges 10:10
10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
When Things Get Bad Enough, God’s People Pray
When things get bad enough, we will pray. Right now, prayer often becomes an occasional thing. When life gets tough, we finally pray. I sometimes wonder if the Lord allows storms so He can spend time with us (Psalm 66:10-12).
We need to be alone with Him. There are times when we must separate from people, even from those closest to us. We need time alone with Him. That time may be early in the morning, late at night, on a mountain, in a garden, or in the wilderness (Matthew 14:23; Luke 22:39-41). Every one of us must find that place and that time.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Prayer is a habit. Say it back to me. Prayer is a habit. It is something we develop. If we do not form the habit of prayer, we will not pray. We will forget. Prayer is a habit.
Matthew 14:24–27
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Jesus prayed a lot, and we are supposed to be like Him. While He was praying, the ship was in the midst of the sea, tossed by contrary winds. In the fourth watch of the night, He came walking on the sea, and the disciples were afraid and thought He was a spirit. Jesus spoke to them, telling them to be of good cheer and not to be afraid. It was about four in the morning. He had been praying for about nine hours. The disciples had been rowing through a storm much of that time.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Jesus was praying as they fighting through the storm. While we are fighting our storms, He is praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). That is the picture we need to see. The disciples were surrounded by waves and fear, but Jesus was on the mountain interceding (Romans 8:34). When we realize He is praying for us, the whole picture changes.
Hebrews 7:25
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Romans 8:34
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
I do not believe the storm caught Jesus unaware. He knew it was coming (John 6:64). The disciples needed that storm. We see Christ on the mountain as the great intercessor. When we need Him, He is praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). The disciples cried out in fear because they thought He was a ghost.
Picture them rowing for hours in the storm. Waves crashing, fear rising, and exhaustion setting in. Then Jesus comes walking on the water, appearing and disappearing in the waves as they rise and fall. They scream at the ghost, bind, resist, and curse what they think is an evil spirit. It was Jesus.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
That happens to us, too. We are up and down in the storm, binding and resisting, quoting Scripture, and reacting in fear. Sometimes what we think is the enemy is actually Jesus coming to us. We need the storm. Without it, we would not recognize His presence in the storm. The disciples needed it.
They would have preferred Him asleep in the boat, like in Matthew 8, so they could wake Him and ask why He did not care that they were perishing (Matthew 8:25). This time, He was not there. He was praying.
Many times in our storms, it feels like we cannot find Him. The reason is that we are in the storm while He is praying for us. That is hard to see in the moment, but it is true. We are often like that ourselves. We like Jesus quiet in our hearts and in our boats. It’s better to keep Him asleep until we need Him (Matthew 8:24-25). When the storm comes, we wake Him up and ask Him to fix it. After that, we want Him to go back to sleep.
Peter Steps Out of the Boat
Instead, we find ourselves in the boat, rolling and rocking through the storm. We are resisting the enemy, binding, and loosening. We are screaming in fear. What we think is a bad spirit turns out to be Jesus walking on the sea.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Picture the disciples rowing southwest while facing northeast. They see something in the distance. The waves rise and fall. They see Him and then lose sight of Him. It comes closer. A man cannot walk on water, so they assume it is an evil spirit and they scream.
That is exactly how it works with us. What first looks like something evil is actually Christ coming to us. We bind it, resist it, and quote Scripture to it, but it does not leave. When we draw nigh to God and resist the devil, and it does not flee, it tells us something important (James 4:7-8). It may not be the devil at all. It may be Jesus walking on the water toward us.
The very thing that troubled the disciples most was the thing Jesus used to reach them. The waves, the water, and the sea became His pathway. The same thing happens in our lives. The problem that brings turmoil is often the very thing Jesus uses to enter our situation. He walks on the water to tell us, It’s okay. I am here.
Matthew 14:27-28
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
He may even invite us to step out and walk with Him. When fear rises, He says not to be afraid (Matthew 14:27). Fear never produces anything good. Fear does not help faith; it only causes us to sink. If we are fearful of our circumstances, we will go under them. That is what happened to Peter. This leads us directly into the next section.
Matthew 14:28-29
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Peter grasped something the others did not. He had watched Jesus lay hands on the sick and see them recover. He had watched Him do the impossible. From that, Peter understood a truth. If Jesus gives permission and provides enablement, then what Jesus does can be done. Without His permission, walking on water will never work.
We are given a measure of ability. There is a point where ability alone is not enough. Without His permission and enablement, it becomes impossible. Peter understood this. If the Lord tells him to do something and enables him, then he can do it.
That same truth applies to us. If Jesus healed and gave permission and enablement to heal, then His body should walk in what He walked in. If He gives permission and sends the Holy Spirit, then what He did is possible. We are His body.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Peter desired to go beyond himself. He did not have the natural ability to walk on water, but he had the desire. Desire is the first step. When desire turns toward the Lord and asks, He answers with an invitation to come. Desire and ability mean nothing if we never step out. If we stay in the boat, nothing happens. Stretching is required (Isaiah 54:2). Growth demands movement. Individually, locally, and universally, the church must stretch, or it will stagnate.
If we are not growing, we are not moving. If we are not moving, we are going backward (Hebrews 6:1). There is no neutral ground. We must get out of the boat. We must walk on what tries to overwhelm us and put it under our feet (Romans 16:20).
Our desire must point us toward the Lord. Peter was walking to Jesus, not performing for the other eleven. Ability is not for impressing people. It is for drawing nearer to Christ (Philippians 3:10).
If the goal is to impress others, we will sink immediately. The goal is closeness to Him. As He stretches us toward Himself, He also stretches us for the sake of the body. He blesses, breaks, and feeds us to others (Matthew 14:19). That only happens when we leave the comfort of the boat.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Getting Out of the Boat
If we want to prophesy or speak the Word, we must step out. It will never happen if we stay where we are. We must take the step. That is the only way it begins.
You have to take the step. God will take it, bless it, and then break you. After that, He will feed you to the body of Christ. He will multiply it so you can feed the multitude (2 Corinthians 9:10). None of that happens unless you leave the comfort zone and step out of the boat.
Ability comes after desire and obedience. Desire and enablement mean nothing if we never step out.
Matthew 14:30-32
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Peter cried, save me, Lord, when he began to sink. That moment proves the point. Peter is one of the most revealing characters in Scripture. He never does anything halfway. He confesses Jesus as the Christ and the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Soon after, he rebukes Jesus (Matthew 16:22). He claims loyalty above all others and later denies even knowing Him (Matthew 26:33–35, 74).
Peter refuses to let Jesus wash his feet and then asks for his whole body to be washed (John 13:8). He swings between bold faith and deep failure. That is why we relate to him. One moment, we are strong. The next moment, we wonder if we even know Him.
Simon Peter lives up to his name, Simon the reed, shaken by the wind (Matthew 14:30). Yet Jesus changes his name to Peter the rock (John 1:42). That is what the Lord wants to do with us. He wants to make us living stones (1 Peter 2:5). Every one of us can identify with Peter.
As long as Peter kept his focus on the Lord, he walked on what threatened to drown him. When his focus shifted to the waves, doubt came, and he sank. Even then, crying out brought deliverance, and he was lifted from the pit (Psalm 40:2).
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Jesus calls Peter a man of little faith after he walks on water and begins to sink (Matthew 14:31). That shows the Lord is not impressed with what we accomplish. He is calling us to walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is meant to grow. It begins as a seed (Matthew 17:20). We are given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). That measure must be planted and allowed to increase (Mark 4:26–28).
Scripture tells us to prophesy according to our faith (Romans 12:6). Faith develops like a muscle. The more it is used, the stronger it becomes. Prayer works the same way. Five minutes feels long at first. As the habit forms, five becomes ten and ten becomes more (Luke 18:1). Growth follows practice.
There are examples of people who devote hours to prayer. That kind of fruit does not come by accident. It comes from learning to step out, keep our eyes on the Lord, and stay there.
Worship in the Boat
Matthew 14:33
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
The living Bible says, the others set there, awestruck. You really are the Son of God, they exclaimed.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
The others were sitting there. They had not yet got this revelation that Peter was getting. Peter had the revelation: Well, if Jesus can do it, and He gives me the enablement and the permission, then I can do it. They were sitting there watching all this going on.
How did Peter get back to the boat? Did Jesus drag him across the waves? No. Let me walk back. That’s what I think. The others were awestruck. Now, they’d seen him calm storms before. This is not why they thought he was the Son of God. He had Peter out there, this man they knew. And he was out there walking on the water. Surely you are the Son of God. And they worshiped him.
Understanding the Purpose of Storms
Let’s talk about some thoughts on storms. Without the storm, he’s not recognized. It is in the midst of the storm that we recognize his presence. How many have been in the middle of a storm, and you found him? He came walking to you in the very circumstance that you thought was trying to put you under. Jesus used that to find a presence and a gateway into your life.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Without the storm, we would never need to be lifted out of the waves. We would be self-sufficient and would not need him. There’d be no sinking. I understand that. It’s when we sink that we need him. And, sometimes, he’ll allow us to sink. He wants us to need Him. And sometimes He’ll let us sink a little bit. At least to the point we’ll cry out, Lord, save me.
Many times, it is in the midst of the storm that we will get out of the boat and go beyond our natural abilities by his permission and by his enablement. How many have ever been stretched during your storm? When you get into a storm, maybe that’s where you go beyond what you’ve ever been before. You found a place in God that you’d never before reached. You walked on some water. Say the storm brought that.
How many say the disciples needed this storm? Without the storm, we would never experience the peace He alone can bring. Without the storm and the circumstances that it brings, we can never really know Him as the Son of God. Is that good?
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
Looking for Jesus in the Storm
So the next time you find yourself rowing, and you’re binding, and you’re loosening, and you’re cursing, and you’re quoting scriptures, and you’re kicking, and you’re screaming. And it won’t quieten, look for Jesus. He’s walking on the water toward you somewhere around there.
Jesus said, ” Let us go over onto the other side.” He told me that. Oh, they were going. They were going, but they needed this storm, and they needed to face it without Him. Amen. They needed to find Him in it.
Healing at Gennesaret
Let’s look at the healing at Gennesaret, verses 34 through 36.
Matthew 14:34–36
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
According to Josephus, the land of Ganesirate was a beautiful plain. It produced walnuts, palms, figs, olives, and grapes. It was a pleasant and fruitful place to live.
When it says they had knowledge of Him, that phrase comes from one Greek word. It means to recognize, become acquainted with, and acknowledge. That stood out to me because many churchgoers are aware of Jesus. They know about Him and have information about Him. The people in Gennesaret became acquainted with Jesus and acknowledged who He is, i.e., Lord of all.
Many have never truly recognized Him as Lord. They have not become acquainted with Him in an intimate way. They have not acknowledged Him as Lord of their lives. Oh, they know about the Lord, but they do not really know the Lord.
I see more people like that all the time. Some have had an experience with Jesus in the past, but they never came to truly know Him. Now they are beginning to grow in knowledge. They are starting to understand Him, become more intimate with Him, and recognize Him in everyday circumstances.
Many people know about Jesus but do not really know Jesus. Jesus can be around us, yet still not minister to us. If we do not recognize who He is, nothing changes. We can attend church every week and still miss Him. Without recognizing who He is and what He can do, there will be no intimate relationship.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
When we truly recognize who He is and understand that He can meet every need, then real knowledge begins. I believe our church is moving toward that place. A time is coming when it will be clear who truly knows Jesus and who is only present for religious reasons.
Touching the Hem of His Garment
Take a look at Matthew 14:36.
Matthew 14:36
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
It’s interesting that this is not the woman with the issue of blood who touched the “hem of his garment” in Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:27-28, and Luke 8:44. This is a different recording found here and in Mark 6:56. Five times the Scriptures reference people touching the hem of Jesus’ garment.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
The word touch here does not mean a light or casual touch. It means to attach oneself. The idea is not brushing against something, but deliberately fastening oneself to it. That leads us to understand the meaning of the hem of the garment.
The Old Testament Meaning of the Hem
The reference comes from Numbers 15:37-41.
Numbers 15:37–41
37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
The Lord instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. These tassels were meant to be seen and noticed.
The purpose of the tassels was remembrance. They were there to remind the people of all the commands of the Lord. Just like moving a ring to another finger or tying a string around your finger helps someone remember something. The tassels served as a constant visual reminder.
As they walked, the tassels dangled before them. When they put the garment on and when they took it off, they were reminded of the Lord’s commands. This reminder was meant to keep them obedient and prevent them from following the lusts of their own hearts and eyes. Through this, they were to remember to obey all the Lord’s commands and to remain consecrated to their God.
Matthew 14 Part 2 How to Trust Jesus Beyond the Boat
The Lord reminded them that He was their God, the one who brought them out of Egypt. He alone was to be acknowledged as their God.
The Hem as Attachment to the Word
The hem of Jesus’ garment represents attachment to the Word of God, not a casual or emotional touch. In Scripture, the hem carried the tassels commanded by God, with blue thread that pointed to what is heavenly in origin. Those tassels reminded Israel to remember and obey God’s commands. When people touched the hem of Jesus, they attached themselves to the Word made flesh and acknowledged His authority. For us today, touching the hem means clinging to Christ through faith and obedience, living anchored to what God has spoken, and trusting that life and healing flow from the heavenly Word.
There are many mysteries surrounding healing, and we are all seeking to understand them. One thing is clear. When healing is manifested in its fullness, it will be among a people who have attached themselves to the Word. The hem represents the Word of God. As we attach ourselves to the Word, healing follows.
Matthew 14 Part 2
Matthew 14 Part 2
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